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I’m going to soon publish the second part of the Warlock-series, the Realm of Wolves. In the last moments of waiting I’m sharing with you a fun fact related to the story to put you in the mood. Some of you already know that I’m vegan. Of course this fact isn’t so shocking in itself. But you might be surprised when you realise that my convictions and eating habits seeped into the Warlock-multiverse with werewolves living on a plant-based diet and avoiding items made from animal materials.

Photo: pixabay, WikilmagesHow the Hell Can You Make Werewolves on a Plant-Based Diet Work?

Of course anything that happens to the author also has a very powerful influence on the story. I started to seriously experiment with the vegan life style when I was writing the Realm of Wolves. And I saw The Game Changers when I was creating the strongest werewolf clan. I gained a lot of inspiration from James Cameron’s documentary and of Ori Hofmekler’s book, the Warrior’s Diet. So the members of this somewhat peculiar werewolf clan eat „pumpkin grated by the Source stuffed with rusty lentils” „white marrow rose stew” and “layered potatoes” instead of meat. They have their most abundant meals in the evenings after the hard work and training, when their „battles have been fought” and they can have a rest.

Photo: Unsplash, RoaminColorPeace-Bowl form the Island of Roanaa

The sorceresses and mages coming from the Kyanite Alliance who meet members of the renegade wolf clan mentioned above marvel at their strange lifestyle in the beginning. But they take to it very quickly. I tried to create the island of Roanaa already as a utopistic place where novices not only spend the years training, but they heal and gather strength if they need it. This paradisiacal island of peace is completely devoid of violence therefore there isn’t any livestock raised for their meat.

Photo: Pixabay, ELG21

Despite this, Silvanus doesn’t want to deprive the students from the familiar meals. Cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks and fish live on the island of Roanaa as domestic animals, freely grazing, feeding and swimming. In the very beginning, the sorceresses and mages asked the animals for a few drops of honey, a gulp of milk, an egg and the permission to gently remove some fibres from their bodies by magic and the soul of animals granted their wish. Since then, the helpers take care of them and their precious donations are constantly multiplied with the help of a tricky potion. So members of the Kyanite Alliance obtain magical „synthetic” meat, cheese, cottage cheese and egg in a very humane way.

Daily Routine in Worennas

The Realm of Wolves is set in a country named Worennas whose culture is reminiscent of the early Middle Ages and the Ancient Irish traditions. So in the biggest part of the country, people and werewolves eat meat and meals prepared from animal materials. But reflecting on the conditions of those times, in the houses of peasant families meat is only consumed on Sundays and on special holidays while their main nutrition source is grains.

Photo: FotoshopTofs Hunting

In the rough and hard world of the Realm of Wolves hunting also appears. But only the Black Wolf clans serving the Shadows kill without thought, just for fun. Those who stand on the side of the Light, generally hunt only when they need food during their wanderings. However, we encounter a very special case already at the beginning of the story. One of the main characters, Christopher hunts down an aurdeer every month. But he does this so that the members of the White Werewolf clan who adopted him can keep their human consciousness during full moon and this way they don’t attack anybody.

Photo: Pixabay, shriekmaster

A Hot Topic: Vegan Werewolves bejegyzés először Nora Halliwell-én jelent meg.

We arrived to Pisces, the last one of the Water signs and the whole zodiac. This sign is also a real idealist like the Aquarius but they are more into floating in the collective subconscious than innovative ideas. Magister Fiona Veritas as the master of meditation and as a mermaid is a worthy representative of this quality.

Image: Pixabay, Gerd Altmann

If we associate a softly embracing warm bay to the Cancer and the depth of a dead well full of secrets to the Scorpio, the quality of Pisces is expressed by the image of the endless seas in the most vivid way. The subtly streaming waves surround and was over everything, suggesting that everything is one deep down. For this reason the Pisces get in tune with others and imagine themselves into their shoes very easily. However completely forgetting their borders, they might be caught by the trap of giving up themselves. But if they use their abilities well, they can became a real Samaritan. 

Cowardly Martyr

On the lowest level the Pisces lives a chaotic, uncertain and aimless life. They are anxious and try to avoid every conflict. They want to get away with life and flee from difficulties led by the principle “if I don’t hurt anybody, nobody will hurt me”. They still can’t turn their increased emotional sensibility towards higher purposes. As a dazed and wandering martyr, they completely give up their personality to the outside world, renouncing every way of self-vindication. But this sacrifice isn’t a conscious choice, as it comes from a terribly strong existential distress and the claim of a completely deformed vision of peace. Moreover the Pisces often gets caught into the net of alcohol, drugs and gambling, where they are looking for the desired sea-experience.

Self-Deluded Artist

The naive credulity that makes the Pisces see and interpret the world through pink glasses is still typical on this level. They strongly aspire for relaxation but they look for it in religious communities, on the way of esoterism or in arts instead of drugs and alcohol. The aptitude for illusions and overmistification still appears in them, but their mental awareness is already higher, their will is stronger and their sense of moral is more advanced. They try to climb to a higher developmental level. They might use psychedelic drugs for this but they aren’t so strongly dependent on them as earlier were.

They still didn’t recognize deeply enough that real break from the material can’t be reached this way as this is only ignoring reality. A lot of ambivalent emotions come forward in them. On the one hand, they thirst for transcendent experience, on the other hand, they cling to the values of physical reality as they instinctively feel that they will need to let go of their ego sooner or later. Moreover they already know that they have to give up their personality which is only possible on a material level if they forget the selfish goals of the ego in favour of others. This, however, might easily turn into a spiritual trap which often condemns the Pisces to the role of martyr-victim. This can be their own choice but it is mostly a necessity resulted by destiny.

Messiah

On the higher level the Pisces already lives the sea-experience which occultists in the Middle Ages called unio mystica. We can claim rightly that they reached the transcendent perfection through their deep meditative trances where they realize the unity and impartibility of mankind. It is already obvious for the Pisces that this mystic unity can be found only on the level of soul but never in the material. As this messianic spirit voluntarily accepted making sacrifice, they don’t have to face the barriers of physical level.

Magistra Fiona Veritas

Magistra Fiona Veritas had lived as a member of a small flock of mermaids before she arrived to the island of Roanaa. Her agname, Veritas means truth. As a youth, she believed she didn’t have to look for the true essence of life because she could find it in the flow of the sea embracing her and her fellows and in the companion of the beloved aquatic beings. Although she could appear as a human stepping on the surface and getting dry, she watched other species very rarely and only remotely as she was untouched by them.

Image: Pixabay, KELLEPICS

But one day Fiona lost her flock and got tangled into a fishnet. She tried to break free in vain; the ropes entwined her tighter and tighter and pulled her toward the surface. In the end she was wrenched from the water by strong hands and was pushed to the floor of a ship. The moment her glance met one of the fisherman’s, his greedy look disappeared and its place was taken by astonishment. Fiona took advantage of her attacker’s surprise and called her marine friends. Dolphins came to help her who tried to throw the ship of its balance. The fishermen immediately left Fiona alone. In the chaos she grabbed a knife, freed herself and jumped into the depth. She and her friends succeeded to fly from the fishermen, but a young dolphin got injured. Fiona attended her carefully until she recovered. Meanwhile she was preparing a plan.

After that she spent the biggest part of her time in a cave above the surface seducing sailors in her neighbourhood by her ethereal singing. Fiona called a lot of fishermen, explorers and warriors to her. She discovered very soon that she had a special ability for affecting others mood. In their bewitched state when they were open-minded, she showed the miracles of life to their “victims” and explained them that humans weren’t born to dominate other species but to protect them. Then she let the sailors go.

Fiona also filtered through herself all that the humans told her about their lives and she often meditated. She began to dream about the members of the Kyanite Alliance during this period. She welcomed the envoys as old friends when they came for her. She didn’t feel sorrow for leaving her previous life behind, only gratefulness because she could experience all this. She stepped on the island of Roanaa with open heart and curious mind. Fiona became an outstanding charmer who helped her fellows a lot with her special ability and empathy during their missions. It wasn’t a question for magister Silvanus to give her the magisterial title when time has come.

A Magisterial Archetypes in the Kyanite Alliance XII. – Samaritan bejegyzés először Nora Halliwell-én jelent meg.

Aquarius closes the row of Air Signs. Just like Capricorns, they spend a lot of time in their head, closed in the fortress of their thoughts. But as opposed to the conservative and obedient Capricorn, the Aquarius is a real revolutionary. This developmental path was also walked by magister Oneiros Seditiosus, master of foreign planes of existence.

Photo: Pixabay

As opposed to the two other airy signs, Gemini and Libra, who transmit information gently effecting the intellect or through sensations and impressions, the Aquarius has got a much more radical role. They question every old, ingrained rule and sweep away what they find obsolate. But as long as they use this ability without enough consciousness, they might throw out real values alongside the outdated things. Their sharp eyes and sense of humour that caricatures the flaws of the old, binding structures make them similar to a Wise Fool.

Anarchist

On this lowest level, the need for innovation lives very intensively in the Aquarius. But their intention is still completely self-centred, so it creates anarchy. They are the typical revolutionists and liberals who feel they have to do something to bring about change. But they are only motivated by stubborn obsessions, moreover they lack empathy. Thus they also ignore the fact that the realization of their plans wouldn’t be the optimal solution for everybody. Since on this level we can’t speak of a developed emotional intelligence, the Aquarius often tries to innovate in spite of others free will, by demolishing old barriers aggressively and arbitrarily. They are not aware that the change leading to real freedom always starts inside each individual.

Humanist Sociologist

The Aquarius notices that something is wrong with social structures and there are plenty of bad practices in the system. They find that the solution for these problems would be the development of technology. On this level, they still don’t sense how false this idea is. So they try to help mankind by using more and more modern technical innovations. But they don’t recognize that this is all for nothing, because redemption can’t exist on the material level (this is the dead-ebd of technological civilisations). As they return into their ivory tower with their favourite subject to study, they selfishly close themselves into their heads and try to become completely independent, they become immensely lonely. They still avoid every kind of emotional boundary because they are persuaded that these only pull back and restrain them. They don’t realise that they deprive themselves from the very thing they secretly desire.

The Saviour – Reformer

Arriving to the highest level, the Aquarius becomes a teacher who lives for mankind and who has already given up their individual ambitions and egoistic desires, so they are completely free. As they have risen above barriers of the material existence, they can see from a bird’s eye view that mankind is lost in the maze of existence and is fumbling in the labyrinth of knowledge. This helps them to leave behind majestic ideals and ideologies and to sacrifice themselves as a real Prometheus in order to teach the essence of rebirth to their fellows.

Magister Oneiros Seditiosus

Magister Oneiros Seditiosus grew up among bandits. His father was the leader of Peregrines and his mother was the only daughter of a wealthy civilian family who had been forced by their parents to abandon her child in order to avoid the shame. But Otloros Seditiosus was incredibly proud to have a son and he taught him everything he knew.

Image: Pixabay, ImaArtist

Oneiros proved himself to be an outstanding disciple and did everything to be loyal to his agname which means rebel. The Peregrines weren’t only simple bandits. They handled their sword masterfully, they moved on trees like acrobats and they often irritated monarchs on purpose, whose wasteful way of life – according to them – caused the poverty of their subjects. The Peregrines deeply despised wealth that they considered as the death of freedom. They contented themselves with the food, water and raw materials given by forests… or appropriated from those who had too much.

The Peregrines camped in one place only for a short time. They were constantly on the move in order to teach a lesson to inhabitants of newer and newer noble courts. Generally they lay in ambush at roads, but sometimes they infiltrated a castle in order to refill their supplies or cause a scandal at feasts.

Once they attacked an envoy just for fun. The boy was taking a message to the monarch of the neighbouring country. The king asked for his help to beat back the enemy threatening the borders.  The envoy didn’t want to give away the message. In the end there was a fight and he bumped his head against a stone and died at that very moment. Oneiros was horrified. He fell out with his father and left the Peregrines.

For lack of support, the king was defeated and the enemy occupied his country. One of the new monarch’s actions was eradicate bandits without mercy. He had the Peregriens caught, held and hung up one by one – except Oneiros.

The new monarch reigned with such bloody hands that in the end the warriors of the Kyanite Alliance had to intervene. Oneiros finally felt that his life make sense again when the people in red cloaks and armour he had seen many times in his dreams, appeared in front of him. He led the warriors to the neighbouring country whose king sent enough soldiers to beat the tyrant with a crafty military tactic. Oneiros himself fought among the soldiers as well. In this manner he fulfilled his first quest before completing a single day of his training. Due to his strong sense of justice, respect for free will, acuteness and brilliant sense of direction in the labyrinth of parallel universes, he earned the magisterial title later. 

A Magisterial Archetypes in the Kyanite Alliance XI. – Wise Fool bejegyzés először Nora Halliwell-én jelent meg.

The third earth sign is Capricorn. Achieving newer and newer levels of hierarchy attracts this sign as well just like the Sagittarius. But the Capricorn isn’t motivated by spirituality and the abstract truth but by results available in the practical world of work and career. Magister Xenoto Sapientus, master of history, military tactics and mundography walked the developmental way of this sign himself.

Image: Pixabay, geralt

The task of Taurus is to nourish the plant with everything imaginable while the Virgo‘s task is to protect it against dangers. About the Capricorn we could say that they set up boundaries, sometimes nips wild shoots in order to provide the right direction for growth. They respect traditions, old tried and tested solutions and they feel really good in well-known systems. Frames and limits mean security to them. They like predictable professions which require pragmatism and they often lose themselves so deep in their career that they give the impression of a Hermit. So their archetype can’t be anything different.

Careerist

On this level the Capricorn can’t break away from factuality and physical reality of life at all. They are almost prisoners of logical thinking and they worship rationality. They are guided by a rigid purposefulness. It results that the Capricorn pushing forward, marching through everybody. Climbing upwards on the social hierarchy, they feel they have to win at all costs in order to achieve a high status which provides prestige and power as well. As they don’t know empathy on this level, the cruel practicality can come to the point that the Capricorn think the end justifies the means. Moreover their strong inferiority complex hiding in the background feeds their blind ambitions. On the other hand, their pessimism coming from defeatism and faint-hearted limits them. This is what they are trying to compensate with rigid purposefulness and careerism.

Authoritarian Careerist

On this level the Capricorn is still motivated by blind ambitions so achieving the purpose at all costs is important for them. They feel that in favour of success they have to make sacrifices and they need endurance, but their goals are already much less egocentric. They might seem like they don’t pay attention to themselves and their surroundings because of their minimalist way of life but in their case this is only about practicality.

They try to serve global interests and social comfort and do everything for them is in their power; they might even go as far as ascetism. But they can’t find yet the spiritual essential faintly felt by them as they are looking for it in the wrong direction: in the outside world. They can achieve worldly successes this way but happiness coming from real satisfaction is still far from them. They know that social fulfilment provided by status is only imaginable in a community as they constantly need feedback.

Experienced Legislator

On the highest level the Capricorn gives up the selfish self-realization completely and they use their ambition to serve the comfort of the community and mankind. They already know what is important; they learnt the real purpose of life. They go on their road tenaciously, sparing no pain, but they are interested only in spiritual salvation and the ascension of mankind. The gravity of material plane can’t pull them back, because the light calls them more intensely. They know that going up the mountain of initiation they have to die a little at every single step but they feel that they can’t give up.

Magister Xenoto Sapientus

Strangely enough, magister Xenoto Sapientus, this mage who considers limits as a necessity of life, twists the quality of his archetype, as he represents the feminine Capricorn quality as a man. But considering that he is the fourth of such anomalous magisters, actually he is the one who restores the balance. His agname, Sapientus comes from the word sapientia which means wisdom. Magister Xenoto does indeed possess an incredible amount of knowledge, but for achieving the real wisdom he also had to walk his own way of development.

Photo: Istock

Magister Xenoto was born on the island of Roanaa as the child of an Exploratoris sorceress and a scholar coming from another plane of existence. He always kept to himself and liked the predictable, practical activities. That’s why he chose the Salutaris family instead of the Exploratoris. He perfectly acquired everything what a healer had to know. Moreover he learnt a lot about the history and geography of different planes of existence and about tactics used in battles. He set his sight on ascending amongst the masters. For this reason, he always tried to accomplish his quests in an exemplary manner and he constantly augmented his knowledge.

Decades passed but he had to wait for the desired honour. Xenoto worked harder and harder. At the same time he withdrew into himself. He didn’t realize (maybe he didn’t even want to) that he had admirers among novicias and novices who would have learnt from him with pleasure. It happened more and more often that he went for quests alone. His accommodation on the island of Roanaa where he spent only a little time, became a real hermitage step by step.

The turn in Xenoto’s fortune came the day when his mother, brother and sister-in-law died during their quest in a canyon where a rock fell on them. So the earth mage stayed the only living relative for the children of his brother. After Xenoto had taken the little boy and girl to live with him (actually a little hesitantly) he felt that the control slipped through his fingers for first time in his life. The arrival of children turned his life upside down and he didn’t have time for his beloved books anymore. Many times he secretly wished that Silvanus finally called him for a new quest and he could leave the two children for the helper woman who supported him as a nurse. But Xenoto didn’t receive any calls for a long time.

As time passed, Xenoto’s orderliness eased more and more and the mage with the ice cold gaze began to thaw. The children made him smile and their laughter warmed his heart. He discovered the joy in the education of the little boy and girl. Expanding of their curious mind, helping them by getting to know limits and rules safely made him happy. As time went by, youngsters with a thirst for learning began to come to the house of the healing hermit again and Xenoto shared his knowledge with them with pleasure. Magister Silvanus offered him the eagerly desired magisterial title, when Xenoto had given it up and when he had already dedicated his mind and diligence to the service of the community. 

A Magisterial Archetypes in the Kyanite Alliance X. – Hermit bejegyzés először Nora Halliwell-én jelent meg.

The third earth sign is Capricorn. Achieving newer and newer levels of hierarchy attracts this sign as well just like the Sagittarius. But the Capricorn isn’t motivated by spirituality and the abstract truth but by results available in the practical world of work and career. Magister Xenoto Sapientus, master of history, military tactics and mundography walked the developmental way of this sign himself.

Image: Pixabay, Gerd Altmann

The task of Taurus is to nourish the plant with everything imaginable while the Virgo‘s task is to protect it against dangers. About the Capricorn we could say that they set up boundaries, sometimes nips wild shoots in order to provide the right direction for growth. They respect traditions, old tried and tested solutions and they feel really good in well-known systems. Frames and limits mean security to them. They like predictable professions which require pragmatism and they often lose themselves so deep in their career that they give the impression of a Hermit. So their archetype can’t be anything different.

Careerist

On this level the Capricorn can’t break away from factuality and physical reality of life at all. They are almost prisoners of logical thinking and they worship rationality. They are guided by a rigid purposefulness. It results that the Capricorn pushing forward, marching through everybody. Climbing upwards on the social hierarchy, they feel they have to win at all costs in order to achieve a high status which provides prestige and power as well. As they don’t know empathy on this level, the cruel practicality can come to the point that the Capricorn think the end justifies the means. Moreover their strong inferiority complex hiding in the background feeds their blind ambitions. On the other hand, their pessimism coming from defeatism and faint-hearted limits them. This is what they are trying to compensate with rigid purposefulness and careerism.

Authoritarian Careerist

On this level the Capricorn is still motivated by blind ambitions so achieving the purpose at all costs is important for them. They feel that in favour of success they have to make sacrifices and they need endurance, but their goals are already much less egocentric. They might seem like they don’t pay attention to themselves and their surroundings because of their minimalist way of life but in their case this is only about practicality.

They try to serve global interests and social comfort and do everything for them is in their power; they might even go as far as ascetism. But they can’t find yet the spiritual essential faintly felt by them as they are looking for it in the wrong direction: in the outside world. They can achieve worldly successes this way but happiness coming from real satisfaction is still far from them. They know that social fulfilment provided by status is only imaginable in a community as they constantly need feedback.

Experienced Legislator

On the highest level the Capricorn gives up the selfish self-realization completely and they use their ambition to serve the comfort of the community and mankind. They already know what is important; they learnt the real purpose of life. They go on their road tenaciously, sparing no pain, but they are interested only in spiritual salvation and the ascension of mankind. The gravity of material plane can’t pull them back, because the light calls them more intensely. They know that going up the mountain of initiation they have to die a little at every single step but they feel that they can’t give up.

Magister Xenoto Sapientus

Strangely enough, magister Xenoto Sapientus, this mage who considers limits as a necessity of life, twists the quality of his archetype, as he represents the feminine Capricorn quality as a man. But considering that he is the fourth of such anomalous magisters, actually he is the one who restores the balance. His agname, Sapientus comes from the word sapientia which means wisdom. Magister Xenoto does indeed possess an incredible amount of knowledge, but for achieving the real wisdom he also had to walk his own way of development.

Photo: Istock

Magister Xenoto was born on the island of Roanaa as the child of an Exploratoris sorceress and a scholar coming from another plane of existence. He always kept to himself and liked the predictable, practical activities. That’s why he chose the Salutaris family instead of the Exploratoris. He perfectly acquired everything what a healer had to know. Moreover he learnt a lot about the history and geography of different planes of existence and about tactics used in battles. He set his sight on ascending amongst the masters. For this reason, he always tried to accomplish his quests in an exemplary manner and he constantly augmented his knowledge.

Decades passed but he had to wait for the desired honour. Xenoto worked harder and harder. At the same time he withdrew into himself. He didn’t realize (maybe he didn’t even want to) that he had admirers among novicias and novices who would have learnt from him with pleasure. It happened more and more often that he went for quests alone. His accommodation on the island of Roanaa where he spent only a little time, became a real hermitage step by step.

The turn in Xenoto’s fortune came the day when his mother, brother and sister-in-law died during their quest in a canyon where a rock fell on them. So the earth mage stayed the only living relative for the children of his brother. After Xenoto had taken the little boy and girl to live with him (actually a little hesitantly) he felt that the control slipped through his fingers for first time in his life. The arrival of children turned his life upside down and he didn’t have time for his beloved books anymore. Many times he secretly wished that Silvanus finally called him for a new quest and he could leave the two children for the helper woman who supported him as a nurse. But Xenoto didn’t receive any calls for a long time.

As time passed, Xenoto’s orderliness eased more and more and the mage with the ice cold gaze began to thaw. The children made him smile and their laughter warmed his heart. He discovered the joy in the education of the little boy and girl. Expanding of their curious mind, helping them by getting to know limits and rules safely made him happy. As time went by, youngsters with a thirst for learning began to come to the house of the healing hermit again and Xenoto shared his knowledge with them with pleasure. Magister Silvanus offered him the eagerly desired magisterial title, when Xenoto had given it up and when he had already dedicated his mind and diligence to the service of the community.

A Magisterial Archetypes in the Kyanite Alliance X. – Hermit bejegyzés először Nora Halliwell-én jelent meg.

Fantasy fans can celebrate another big anniversary after the premier of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Cinemas started to show the first part of The Lord of The Rings trilogy twenty years ago on December 10th, 2001. We can declare without doubt that J.R.R. Tolkien created a masterpiece by writing the wide-ranging and tempestuous story of Middle-earth. His fantasy world seems to provide a continuous source of raw material for film makers. On September 2nd, 2022 a new series presenting the events of the Second Age is coming up on Amazon. The movie makers have to do their job with their whole heart if they want to come up to the original trilogy. Because Peter Jackson created something genial by transferring the monumental adventures of the One Ring to the silver screen. Let’s see what are the twenty things that make The Lord of the Rings epic and its movie version so legendary!

1. Of course the most essential one is the precise world building. Tolkien created the most important characters of the fantasy genre by dreaming up elves, dwarves, orcs and ents. Moreover, he didn’t only work out the history of his creatures to the tiniest details but he invented new languages for them as well. According to some theories, Tolkien actually built his complex fantasy world around these fictional languages.

Photo: New Line Cinema

2. New Zealand provided a great setting to bring the colourful world of Middle-earth to life, so the pictures are breathtaking. This country has every kind of landscape; the cosy, inviting Shire, the beautiful Rivendell, the hard frost and snowstorms of Caradhras, the mystical Lothlorien, the majestic Minath Tirith, the creepy Cirith Ungol or the Mount Doom where the Fate of a whole world is falling out.

Photo: New Line Cinema

3. The symphonies of Howard Shore intensify the powerful effects even more. The composer created special themes for the different species, places and situations which give a special depth to their respective scenes. Furthermore, there is a song presented by a popular singer in every part of the trilogy which makes the soundtrack much more touching. In the OST of The Fellowship of the Ring we have May It Be by Enya, at the end of The Two Towers there is Gollum’s Song by Emilia Torrini and The Return of the King is closed by Into the West sung by Annie Lenox. In addition, Billy Boyd as Pippin also sings in The Steward of Gondor.

4. After discussing the setting of The Lord of the Rings, it’s time to focus on the story. Going through their own personal initiation is a key element for the nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring. Some of them are transformed spectacularly by walking bravely on this painful and fearful way, just like Gandalf who turns from a Grey Mage into a White Mage, or Aragorn who leaves the Strider behind and grows up to the role of the king. And there is Sam who goes from gardener into a real warrior attending to his friend and who is considered as the true hero of The Lord of the Rings by many fans. Someone wakes up and triumphs over his own ego in the last minutes of his life; someone is forced to stand his ground without his best friend for the first time. But of course Frodo, the Ring Bearer goes through the biggest change while defeating himself on the way leading to Mount Doom.

Photo: New Line Cinema

5. The fact that a hobbit, a representative of the smallest species who might seem insignificant, is the fittest for keeping and destroying the One Ring, gives a very important life lesson. It shows how much power can hide in a person who seems weak at first sight or prefers melting into the background instead of taking centre stage showing off their aptitude. This lesson is intensified when the powerful Witch-king of Angmar is killed by a woman, the princess Eowyn who had to join the army in Pelennor Fields in disguise and did this with the aid of another hobbit, Merry Brandybuck.

Photo: New Line Cinema

6. The previous human-hobbit teamwork shows how superbly different creatures can cooperate in tough situations. But beside this we can see more examples for the alliance of species. The way that Legolas and Gimli put aside the mutual prejudices and become true friends is laudable. And it is gripping when Treebeard is thrown off his quiet apathy and is fired up on seeing the death of his fellows to take fight by the side of hobbits.

7. Cooperation and friendship among different species aside, a healthy competitive spirit remains between Legolas and Gimli. Their rivalry in orc-hunting is very funny. For example in the scene where Legolas kills an oliphaunt with all its enemy riders and Gimli’s reaction is only: „That still counts as one!”, will stay with us forever.

8. But the real masters of entertainment are Merry and Pippin. They celebrate the victory on Orthanc on the worthiest way; by drinking beer and clowning. The two trouble-makers often bring a smile on the face of fans with their cheerful nature and always funny mood. And there is nothing that could take the edge off of a hopeless situation so efficiently as the jokes of Merry and Pippin.

9. But hobbits hold the first place not only in jokes. Although they don’t possess either serious magic or considerable physical force, they are tougher than anybody would suppose of them and they compensate their flaws by cunning. The way that Merry and Pippin lead the orcs away from the proximity of Frodo, leave hints for Aragorn and the remaining members of the fellowship then escape from the ugly creatures of Saruman, is a pretty fine show. Just like the scene when Frodo and Sam sneak in Barad-dur in disguise and provoke a fight in order to escape from the sight of the orcs.

Photo: New Line Cinema

10. Besides cunning, force and magic, something else helps the members of the fellowship; their unconditional faith. We can see it in Aragorn in the most spectacular way. Although he steps on the Path of Dead with Anduril in his hands, as the heir of Isildur in order to call in fight the King of the Dead, he needs a huge amount of bravery. And when the orc envoy standing at the Black Gate wants to dissuade Aragorn, showing him a false proof that he caught and killed Frodo, his attempt is unsuccessful. The king feels that the news can’t be true and believes that his friend is still alive. And the imperturbable faith is rewarded: the Fellowship of the Ring always triumphs even in hopeless situations.

11. On the way leading to victory, different relics get an important role. The Lord of the Rings-story is a real repository of these treasures. And which fan wouldn’t want to hold the reforged Anduril, Bilbo’s Mithril shirt, the bottle containing the light of Elendil or Galadriel’s other gifts given to the members of the fellowship looking into their souls, or the One Ring? Arwen’s iconic medal was also reproduced by many craftsmen in human version.

Photo: New Line Cinema

12. The moment when the abovementioned medal gets to Aragorn is a bright proof of the purest love. The link between the king of Gondor and Arwen is inexpressibly deep, and Viggo Mortensen and Liv Tyler brought to life its power very efficiently on the movie screen. Looking at their scenes together among all the battles is very uplifting. It is also a source of joy that princess Eowyn, who fell hopelessly in love with Aragorn, doesn’t remain lonely and she finds happiness on the side of another man, Faramir. The scene in The Return of the King’s extended version when they take each other’s hand and smile, tells more than thousand words.

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13. Not only love but family relations – whether amiable or poisoned –  are also represented in a very vivid way by the actors. The link between Bilbo and Frodo, between Elrond and Arwen, between Theoden, Eomer and Eowyn and between Denethor and Faramir are one by one interesting additions to the story which bring the heroes closer to spectators.

Photo: New Line Cinema

14. Further relations with reality are created by the bloopers which got into a few scenes, but as they perfectly fitted on them, they stayed. These little errors make The Lord of the Rings even more lifelike. For example, the scene where Ian McKellen as Gandalf bumps his head against a timber in Bilbo’s house or when Viggo Mortensen kicks a helmet accidentally and he cries out in pain. But there are very sweet real features as well: the scene of Sam with his family where Sean Austin’s own daughter plays the bigger child.

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15. Director Peter Jackson couldn’t resist the temptation for some cameo appearances in these legendary movies. We can see him in The Fellowship of the Ring on the street in Bree, crunching a carrot, in The Two Towers throwing a dart in the Battle of Helm’s Deep and in The Return of the King as a pirate who is shot by Legolas’s arrow.

16. Beside the main characters and the director, every single member of the film crew was extremely enthusiastic and did their task with their whole heart. Nothing proves it better than the endurance of actors impersonating the orcs who bore the make-up process heroically for hours and hours every day of the shooting. And although the armies of the enemy weren’t created with CGI effects, the spectacular battle scenes laid the foundations of the 21st century’s filmmaking.

Photo: New Line Cinema

17. Of course we can’t forget one of the most contradictory characters of the story, Gollum. We might feel hate or pity toward the repulsive, sneaky creature which was made from the hobbit, Sméagol by the evil power of the One Ring. But one thing is certain: his sibilant voice calling to „His Precious” will be part of the public imagination forever, and in this manner probably he is the most frequently quoted LOTR-character.

GIF: tenor.com, Jay Johnson

18. There are only two characters who are even more paradoxical than Gollum: Tom Bombadil and his wife Goldberry. They didn’t appear in the movies but because of their dark secrets that are full of potential, they deserve to be mentioned. They are the first creatures who help the hobbits during their dangerous journey but they probably weren’t guided by warm-heartedness. Tom appears as a jovial guy who likes eating, drinking and joking and his door is always open for wanderers in trouble. And Goldberry’s ethereal beauty makes an elf-like impression. But why do two such kind-hearted creatures live in the dreadful Old Forest next to Barrow Downs in the neighbourhood of the Withywindle? We have a solid reason to assume that Tom and Goldberry aren’t who they say themselves to be. Of course there is a well-elaborated theory related to their real identity and motivations.

Image: Pixabay, Darkmoon Art

19. The boarding in Grey Heavens is one of the most touching scenes in The Lord of the Rings movies. The painfully ceremonial reality of the parting of the ways and passing to an unknown place mixed with the excitement of expectation are expressed in it. On the other hand, it raises thought-inspiring philosophical questions: After a hero has gone through a series of challenges, can they return to their old, calm, uneventful(?) life? What can they do in peacetime when nobody needs their force and bravery or at least they have to use it in a completely different way than earlier?

Photo: New Line Cinema

20. Last but not least I have to mention Bilbo’s one hundred and eleventh birthday party. The colourful crowd, the joyous music, the smoke-ship swimming through a circle and the spectacular firework show the hobbits the carefree happiness of a world worthy to fight for and return to. At least for those whose Fate has been written like this.

Photo: New Line Cinema

A The Story of the One Ring Came to Life 20 Years Ago! bejegyzés először Nora Halliwell-én jelent meg.

The row of fire signs is ended by Sagittarius. As opposed to the melancholy and perceptive Scorpio constantly looking into the depth, this quality regards the world in a completely different way, looking only upwards and always searching for the higher justice. Magister Lucius Sensus, master of philosophy is a worthy representant of the Sagittarius.

Image: Pixabay, Darkmoon Art

Although fire energy manifests on the level of physical power in the case of Aries and as a charismatic leadership in Leo, in the Sagittarius it appears rather on the mental level. They drink up knowledge with unquenchable curiosity and if an idea really ignites the flame of passion in them, they will protect it to the very end. Just like they do to the ones who fall victims to injustice. Their mind is constantly on creating a better world and they aim to also carry out their plans. So it is not surprising that the archetype of the Sagittarius is the Priest.

Haughty Know-it-all

On the lowest level Sagittarius is curious only in intellectual way and they speak to others haughtily, wanting to educate them. Moreover they think that social titles go hand in hand with mental  excellence. They don’t possess the required spiritual perspicacity yet, so they judge people not according to their inner value but their position in social hierarchy.

They are eager to gobble up information and often pleasures without distinction . Furthermore they get power through deception, which they misuse according to their selfish interests. They aim to collect appreciation undeservedly, without real spiritual and moral values. Those university lecturers, spiritual leaders or politicians who worked their way up to the highest position with hard (but not necessarily right) work, act in this manner. They expect respect just because of their title. The biggest task of Sagittarius is the control of their greed, so finding their own Golden Middle in everything.

Cunning Politician

On the intermediate level Sagittarius is still arrogant, so they go confidently on the way of spiritual discovery. They think that they are automatically entitled to superiority given by prestige and knowledge. According to their haughty pomposity they imagine the „noble” changing of the world as forming everything to their own taste. They know certain things in the society need to be changed radically but they think it is possible only by restructuring the system and its legal frames. They still need challenges and spiritual-mental stimulation, however they aren’t motivated by their real development but mostly by the self-serving curiosity of their mind. They undertake every task, try to help everybody and are able to forgive quite often if their philosophical or religious ideas aren’t involved. On the other hand they are so busy with their monumental plans and tasks they considered noble, that they don’t care about the details of everyday life at all. Because of their abstract approach they can think only about the big picture and they constantly search for big holistic connections.

Enlightened Priest
On the highest level of self-realization the Sagittarius already achieves the experience of wisdom, so they can be a spiritual light (torch bearer) for others. They don’t mean Justice anymore as law but as inner Justice and they represent he celestial moral instead of earthly lawl . They are aware of the truth that only  real spirituality can overarch the abyss which exists between human and God from times immemorial.

Magister Lucius Sensus

As on most planes of existence humans are in majority, masters of the Kyanite Alliance also belong to this species. But magister Lucius Sensus, one of the two exceptions, is a centaur. His first name comes from the name Lucius (Light Bearer) and his agname Sensus means sense.

Image: Pixabay, Gruu

The young Lucius living in his herd learnt fast that humans were stupid and greedy, so he shouldn’t trust them under any circumstances. Furthermore as centaurs possessed much higher power of mind than any other species, so they didn’t mix with others either too often and lived  in themselves. But within the herd the cohesion was extremely close and centaurs always came to one another’s aid if it was necessary.

Lucius lived in his herd happily and he was very proud of being a centaur. At the same time despite the prejudice in him, he missed something important and felt that his Fate wasn’t to grow old among his centaurs.

One day Lucius stepped into a trap and broke his leg. He had been struggling for three day lost, injured, without any food and water when masters of the Kyanite Alliance – who actually came for him – finally found him. While healers tended to him carefully, the young centaur rid himself of his old, damning views about humans. And after standing on his feet again, he threw himself body and soul into his new life and accepted the new doctrines with a curious mind. Mixing the centuries-old knowledge of centaurs with everything he received from his masters and he experienced during his quests, step by step  Lucius became one of the wisest members of the Kyanite Alliance. And he left the accumulated spiritual treasures to his fellows with pleasure. That’s why magister Silvanus deemed him as the fittest for becoming the master of philosophy.

A Magisterial Archetypes in the Kyanite Alliance IX. – Priest bejegyzés először Nora Halliwell-én jelent meg.

It’s incredible that enthusiastic spectators started to flood into movies for the premier of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone exactly 20 years ago, on 16 th November, 2001. We, who had been waiting impatiently for the new books and movies, already left our teenage years behind. But we will always remember Hagrid’s „harmless” pets, the secret detours of Harry and his friends at night under the invisibility cloak, the exciting moment of the Triwizard Tournament or the Battle of Hogwarts even if Gilderoy Lockhart himself casts his professional Memory Charm on us. On the occasion of the round anniversary let’s see the best twenty things we like about the Harry Potter septology and its movie adaptation!

1. The three leading characters, Daniel Radcliff, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson proved themselves to be great choices for the roles of Harry, Ron and Hermione. Moreover they constitute an unbeatable trio and the harmony is perfect among them so their common scenes become very powerful.

[image error]Photo: Warner Bros.

2. The soundtrack – especially the works of John Williams – fits the magical world brilliantly and intensifies the effect of the visual elements very well. Who wouldn’t get goosebumps listening to the melodious tune that follows Harry during his first visit to the Diagon Alley or to the motivating music composed for the quidditch matches?

3. Speaking about quidditch, the favourite sport of wizards provided the readers with a collection of pretty exciting episodes. The film directors used the possibilities offered by broomstick riding with an outstanding sense and they cinematized the matches by composing very spectacular scenes.

Photo: Warner Bros.

4. Life in Hogwarts wouldn’t be the same without Hagrid’s bloodthirsty beasts! There is something whimsically funny in the devotion of Harry’s biggest friend when he cares for a dragon baby or a huge spider. And walking a Blast-Ended Skrewt is a worthy initiation into Real Wizard Life.

Photo: Warner Bros.

5. Preparation or no preparation, growing up is complicated even without magic. Rowling leads her protagonists credibly from childhood to adulthood. She increased the weight of the challenges waiting for Harry, Ron and Hermione step by step, year by year.

Photo: Warner Bros.

6. In case of some characters, the process of growing up is especially interesting. The most spectacular example is the miserable, forgetful Neville who didn’t understand what was he doing in Gryffindor, but he turned into a fearless hero in the end. And Ginny, the shy little girl living in the shadow of her brothers become a real tough young woman in a few school years.

Neville Londubat

7. Dumbledore’s wisdom gives eternal lessons that stay with young readers for their whole life. For example, it doesn’t matter what somebody is born as, but what they become growing up. Or that we always have a choice and we control our destiny even if a prophecy weights on us already as a baby.

Photo: Warner Bros.

8. Rowling isn’t afraid of portraying the pain of casualties – among other things that’s why Harry Potter stands out of typical children’s books. Important characters die fighting for the Light against Darkness, leaving a huge emptiness in the heart of their loved ones. So the story is much more complex than the victory of good and fall of evil as this triumph requires sacrifices.

Image: Pixabay, KELLEPICS

9. There are some spells that hide very important symbols and essential lessons in themselves. Reading about the Patronus Charm we remember again and again how strong motivation a powerful, happy memory can give us for our everyday life even if we can’t see a way out of a hopeless situation. 

Photo: Warner Bros.

10. The functioning of the mirror of Erised is also very expressive. The mysterious magical object is the biggest challenge on the way leading to the philosopher’s stone. Reading backward the carving on it (Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi) we get the following: I show not your face but your heart’s desire. So the mirror points out the elemental tempting power of our desires and their ways for leading us astray.  

Photo: Warner Bros.

11. Love as the greatest power and most efficient weapon even during an encounter with the most perilous enemy makes the story very lifelike. Love and true friendship are the spells that can be cast even by us, muggles as well. 

Photo: Pixabay, Klimkin

12. Of course, Rowling isn’t only the master of transmitting lasting life lessons but the master of entertainment as well. She is very talented at giving names. Most names of characters and places given are playfully fanciful and often reveal something about their bearer.

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13. This is also true of the special meals and drinks consumed in the wizarding world. As a child probably everybody thought that snacking a Chocolate Frog, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans or Fhizzing Whizbees is much cooler than eating M&M’s, Jaffa Cakes or Marshallow. And Gillywater, Butterbeer, Mulled Mead or Firewhisky makes grown up’s mouth water.

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14. The numerous mythological references also add a lot to the experience provided by Rowling’s world. Sphinxes, phoenixes, centaurs and Mandragoras gives a special and mystical ambiance to the story. 

Photo: Warner Bros.

15. Residents of Hogwarts who aren’t flesh and blood also deserve their own place on the list. Unfortunately, ghosts didn’t have a very important emphatic role in the movies; they were mostly only transparent decoration to the story. Nevertheless, Nearly Headless Nick’s Deathday Party and the nastiness of Peeves were pretty memorable moments in the books. Moaning Myrtle’s character (portrayed by Shirley Henderson) couldn’t be ignored, just as the crucial scene with Helena Ravenclaw (Kelly Macdonald). Both actresses were outstanding ghost girls. 

Photo: Warner Bros.

16. Reality as a source of inspiration is also an important part of masterful world building. The Harry Potter books mirror the tendencies of politics and media. We can see that fans almost gobble up their idol’s life, but there is also character assassination, mass manipulation and the striving to cover the minority propagating the truth with ridicule and make their situation impossible. 

Photo: Warner Bros.

17. Character building is just as brilliant as world building. Grey characters are especially exciting. Naturally professor Severus Snape, master of Occlumency is the most striking example. Nobody would have read his mind or found out his motivations until the last chapters of the seventh book. But it is also interesting how we find out that the goodly professor Dumbledore isn’t a saint either and also made his mistakes. But all this makes him much more human. 

Photo: Warner Bros.

18. The serious topics are superbly equilibrated by light and funny elements. Every character has their own sense of humour typical to them. All of them are entertaining in their own way. Dumbledore’s jovial easiness, McGonagall’s stinging style when she gives a peace of her mind to people like Umbridge or Ron’s funny and absurd ideas which afterwards often proves themselves to be correct. 

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19. Of course uncrowned kings of pranks are Fred and George. They already won everybody’s sympathy when they only thought up practical jokes in their room and they annoyed the teachers in class. Ever since they sold their first Nosebleed Nougats and Headless Hats, we had been watching with excitement how Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes were coming along. The cherry on top though was their spectacular exit from Hogwarts.  

Photo: Warner Bros.

20. The invisibility cloak and the Marauder’s Map become essential in Harry’s and his friend’s secret nocturnal wandering very quickly. And we, the readers are happy about it because these magical items make their adventures much more exciting. My heart skipped a beat a few times during reading and I rooted for Harry and his friends to get out off an adventure without getting caught.

Photo: Warner Bros.

A Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone has turned 20 years old! bejegyzés először Nora Halliwell-én jelent meg.

It is the turn of the second Water sign, Scorpio. After the pleasant-tempered, easy-going Libra, now comes a much heavier and deeper quality. Some people may be shaky from the poisonous sting, the vindictiveness, things hidden insidiously in the subconscious and the thought of the death associated with the eighth member of the zodiac. But the Scorpio’s dark and dreadful quality is also able to turn into light – as the walk of life of magistra Iris Astutas, master of spells and leader of the Delerius family proves.

Photo: Pixabay, Andrey Barsukov

While the first Water sign, Cancer resembles to a warm bay which embraces everybody with soft motherly love, the Scorpio is much more like a dead well: looking into it we see only eternal darkness. They can’t stand superficial things and they deem only the raw reality in the depth worthy of their attention. They are extreme personalities who are guided by the principle of “everything or nothing”. Of course, this philosophy of life tests the Scorpio over and over again and they try to get over the challenges, always according to the level of their development. Furthermore they often expect others to descend into the depth with them. And when nobody wants to follow them on the stressful journey, they don’t understand how other people can be satisfied with a superficial half-truth for peace’s sake. It isn’t surprising that the archetype of Shaman is associated with this quality.

Dark Magician

On this low level an intense duality characterises the Scorpio which causes an eternal duel of life and death in them. As opposed to the Libra, it is not romantic love they need, but subversive passion. However, they are caught in the biggest trap of material existence exactly through the intense erotism and extreme sexuality, just like a fly in the spider web. They try to banish their inner struggle into their subconscious, while they hope that through satisfaction of these addictive instincts they can cancel the pain of mortality and the anguish of being enclosed in matter.

The Scorpio often tries to escape from their own Hell so intently that they pass it on others instead of facing it. By chasing passion they misuse their charm and they don’t care how many broken hearts and ruined lives they leave behind. They act like a dark magician who continuously destroys things with their power.

Curious Hermit

On the intermediate level the Scorpio already feels the proximity of a higher reality, but they still aren’t able to reach it. They are searching passionately for the ultimate truth which could liberate their soul. They think that the comprehension of existence is possible through the material, so they are looking for the solution in alchemy, genetics and plastic surgery. They try to live this ancient quality through the pleasures of the flesh, lust, this is also what attracts them to occultism and metaphysical doctrines. They take apart the material during this process, but they can’t find the essential, because they still didn’t quit from the prison of shapes and their soul still wasn’t released from the bond of passionate desires. The polarity is still very intense in them. One pole binds them to the material level and represents the enjoyment of life while the other one indicates a higher spiritual path and motivates for self-sacrfice. Affected by these impulses the Scorpio becomes a personality who has life swing to the extremes as a hedonist or rejects it completely as an ascetic.

White Magician

On this highest level, searching for the soul and transcendence appears in a much more conscious way. The Scorpcio tries to reveal occult secrets and know the metaphysical mysteries in an absolutely unselfish way. They already fit in with the eternal cycle of destruction and rebirth perfectly, so they become reconciled to the thought of transience and being trapped in material. They know as well that a spiritual warrior’s greatest success is the ultimate victory against themselves, the liberation from limits of instincts. And their way leads through their inner mysterious path.

The spiritual explorer „turned into a white eagle” realizes that they can walk on the spiritual path on the long run only alone without any fellow-passengers. For this reason, finding Themself through meditations, appeasing the false voices of mind and defending the temptations of astral body through the domination of their instincts becomes the most important for them.

Magistra Iris Astutas

Magistra Iris Astutas also underwent the development process of the Scorpio. Her agname comes from the word “astutas” which means cunning or tricky. She saw into other people easily already as a child with the aid of her outstanding advanced sixth sense. For this reason the Order of the Black Najas picked up on her very early and they took her with them in order to teach her everything that a Snake-Shaman-Woman needs to know. In the beginning Iris cried and sulked, because the Najas lifted her out of the comfrotable safety of her village. But acquiring the complicated spells, alchemy, the mixing of poisons and antidotes and later the tantric mysteries compensated abundantly the girl eager for the knowledge.

Image: Pixabay, darksouls

But when Iris as an adult and initiated Black Naja wanted to visit her family, the image of a village burnt to ashes and a mass of corpses welcomed her. The girl went so blind with rage like never before. She knew that she couldn’t calm down until she settled accounts with the murderers of her family. Following the hints left behind, she found out that it was the soldiers of an enemy horde that launched an attack on them.

Iris was aware of the fact that she would accumulate karmic debt if she revenged her loved ones, but she didn’t care. She traced down the horde and after finding them, she seduced one of the leader’s sons and made him to poison the water supply. But after dozens of men, women and children died choking among cramps and the poor boy was hung, Iris didn’t feel better at all. She was overcome by a continually growing emptiness which was eating her soul up.

The Black Najas didn’t care too much either about the actions of the girl or the pain she felt. On one hand, they thought that the enchantment of the boy and the poisoning of the water were proofs of Iris’s knowledge acquired from them. On the other hand, they considered everything that happened to the girl’s family as inevitable necessities for closing down her earlier life.

Iris felt everything more and more pointless and hopeless, moreover the assassination weighed on her soul. She was thinking about killing herself when the masters of the Kyanite Alliance found her. The girl hung onto the hope that by working for the Kyanite Alliance she could redeem her sins just like a drowning man holds onto his last breath. Iris did an outstanding service for the Kyanite Alliance with her advanced sixth sense; she saved the life of her fellows and helped them to victory during many battles. Beside this she showed a special affinity for studying spells which she regarded as enigmatic mysteries, moreover she also invented several ones herself. Her strong abilities and determination made her fit for the magisterial title and for becoming the leader of the Delerius family. Magister Silvanus entrusted Iris with the double responsibility with pleasure as he wanted to give her as much chance as possible for redemption.

A Magisterial Archetypes in the Kyanite Alliance VIII. – Shaman bejegyzés először Nora Halliwell-én jelent meg.

This time I’m introducing you a martial art which doesn’t belong to a master and his philosophy but to the culture of a nation. Baranta is a real Hungaricum which is based on the armed and bare-handed techniques of Hungarian nobles and comes from the centuries between the IX. and the XX.

Image: Pixabay, Paul Barlow

This traditional martial art was invented by free Hungarians whose privilege and obligation was to fight. Throughout the centuries they gathered knowledge that contained a special model for tactics, ways of personal development, and a philosophy alongside the techniques polished until perfection.

What Was Their Philosophy?

Those who practice baranta, live, think and act Hungarian every minute. They not only keep the traditions but live and create them by building their every days around them. It is natural for them that they acquiring learn even the tiniest details of the Hungarian culture that developped the martial values learnt by them. It pervades penetrate their way of thinking and stays with them also when the battle is over and the time of sing and dance has come.

It’s very important that baranta-warriors never fight against something but always for something. They keep their focus on the target wished to be achieved and the values wished to be protected, so it gives them strength instead of what they go against. Warriors thinking this way are determined opponents with huge power.

What Does the Word “Baranta” Mean?

Everywhere where this word is still used (mostly in the west and south borders of the country), it is interpreted in different way. It referred to armed competition, challenge, preparation for fight or war, legally usable violence and use of violence. The tradition of Somogyvár’s region attributed the most flattering meaning to the word. They saw baranta warriors as fighters who answered to the highest ethical requirements besides being excellent at armed combat. So they deserved to become the special helpers of the ancient law guradian (Horka).

Photo: Devanath

Nowadays baranta means an independent Hungarian martial art in case if it’s only about contest, preparation and practice in peacetime. The version striving for the enemy’s destruction is called “Böllön”. Elements connected to this latter can be acquired by regular soldiers and baranta warriors who already achieved the instructor level.

How Do Baranta-Warriors Fight?

Dances accompanied by different weapons and tools have a big importance in the formation of movements. Baranta includes several ways of fighting from long-range traditional weapons to direct close combat. The most important weapons are bow, sabre, sword, short and long stick, fustély (this is also a kind of stick), kelevéz, kopja, fokos, shield, battle axe, whip, throwing star and knife.

An essential element of the bare-handed techniques is spreading, asphyxiating movements ending the combat. These are usually started in a standing position and taken further during the ground fight.

Image: Pixabay, Richard Mcall

Beside the foot branch (thug) there is also an equestrian branch (ráró). The latter requires a very high level of cooperation with the horse, because control of mounts has to be carried out without any harness.

Baranta and the Kyanite Alliance

Acquiring the plenty of different ways of fighting connected to baranta is necessary for warriors who have already learnt to keep their power in line and exceed their ego. Although members of the Bellicous family come from different planes of existence as envoys of many different cultures, fighting for the common purpose and for the protection of common values have a very big importance for all of them.

Magistra Rowena encourages competitions in the case of fully-trained fire-novicias and novices who accomplished the Trial of the Elements. Individual competitions help students by assessing which areas they need to develop while team combats provide them with a great opportunity to work on cooperation in the community. These challenges take place quite often. But in contrast with the combats held at Celtic celebrations, they aren’t for the public. Participants can rely only on their physical power and intelligence and they can’t use magic at all.

A Baranta – The Ancient Hungarian Warrior Spirit bejegyzés először Nora Halliwell-én jelent meg.